1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a medium transport unit configured to transport a medium such as a print sheet, a recording apparatus provided with the medium transport unit, and an image reading apparatus provided with the medium transport unit.
2. Related Art
Examples of an image forming apparatus (recording apparatus) provided with a paper reversing apparatus (medium transport unit) configured to reverse and transport a print sheet (medium) in the related art include a configuration, for example, disclosed in JP-A-9-12198. The paper reversing apparatus provided in the image forming apparatus as described above is configured to reverse the print sheet with a switchback mechanism.
In other words, the paper reversing apparatus includes a first reversing paper guide and a second reversing paper guide arranged with a partitioning plate interposed there between, and a third paper transporting channel and a fourth paper transporting channel extending respectively from the first reversing paper guide and the second reversing paper guide respectively, joining together at downstream ends thereof, and connected to an upstream end of a downstream side transporting channel.
When print sheets are fed to the first reversing paper guide and the second reversing paper guide alternately from an upstream side transporting channel, the print sheets fed to the first reversing paper guide are reversed in the course of being transported in the third paper transporting channel and are fed to the downstream side transporting channel. In contrast, the print sheets fed to the second reversing paper guide are reversed in the course of being transported in the fourth paper transporting channel and are fed to the downstream side transporting channel.
The paper reversing apparatus as described above is configured in such a manner that the third paper transporting channel and the fourth paper transporting channel pass outside the first reversing paper guide and the second reversing paper guide, respectively. Therefore, four routes including the first reversing paper guide, the second reversing paper guide, the third paper transporting channel, and the fourth paper transporting channel are arranged side by side. Therefore, there arises a problem of an increase in size of the apparatus.